Shingetsu Warrior
by PyroRoxie
Summary: Mizuki is the Shingetsu Warrior.She works as a hitokiri for the Ishin Shi Shi rebels.Her partner,Himura the Battosai,disapproves of her being a hitokiri. They must now put aside their diffecnces to become the largest impact in the revolution.R&R THANX!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I ran along the peak of the roof. The dumb, fat polititian inside this lovely home was my target. I slid down the roof to edge. The edge had an abraised edge that I caught on to with the heels of my boots. I looked in through the window. The polititian was sitting in a fat red chair by the fire. I cracked my knuckles. I reached up to my back and undid the whip that was strapped to my back. I licked my lips in anticipation. I forced myself to calm down. I held tightly to my whip. I pulled back and with a flick of my wrist the whip flew through the window and into the back of the polititian's fat neck and back out again the steel tip of the whip leaving a neat hole in the glass and in the man's throat.

Once his guards had realized what had happened I had pulled myself up and was jumping off the other side of the house. I was well on my way down the streets of Kyoto by the time they had managed to get the door open. I was running down the back alley way. I saw a man with long hair tied high on his head. Though he was shorter than me he still had the air of being in charge. It was his eyes. The eyes of a cold blooded killer. Often I wondered if other people looked at me and saw those sort of eyes shining evilly out of my face.

The man interupted my thoughts. "Shingetsu, is it done?" I nodded. "Yes, Battosai, it has been completed."

~Later That Night and Into The Morning~

I followed the Battosai back to our small makeshift camp. When I say makeshift I mean that we were in a forest and he slept on one rock and I slept on the other. We were in the Revolution. We were fighting on the side of the rebels, specifically the Ishin Shi Shi rebels. The Battosai had been fighting longer than I had. How long? I wasn't exactly sure. I had only been fighting in this war for a year, but I had been a Hitokiri for a little less than half of that time. I didn't quite know why the Battosai never really spoke to me though. We were the two best hitokiris on the rebel side and so even in the short time I had been employed we had been sent on many missions together. Still he never seemed to talk to me more than necasarry even on a professional level.

So today I decided was the time to ask him about it was today. I might be a heartless killer, but I did need to have someone to talk to. Just to make sure that I wasn't a monster. I made my way over to his rock. I cleared my throat. He said nothing and did not even acknowledge that I had said anything at all. I pursed my lips. "Battosai," I said quietly. He grunted but still didn't look at me. I sighed. Time to get this over with, "Battosai, why don't you like me?" He sat up and glared at me. I held his gaze. "It's not that I don't like you, Shingetsu. It's just that I don't think they should let a little girl come on these missions let alone kill someone." I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest. "You're the same age as me roughly, I mean 19 to 17. Close enough."

He looked down and I think he might have blushed a little. I ignored the fact that it was disgraceful a hitokiri to show any emotion at all. Then I knew why it made him uncomfortable to work with me. "Because I'm a girl?" I shrieked in anger. "I will have you know that I can do everything a man can. And you would do well to respect me as a fellow murderer because you know what will happen if you don't!" I yelled at him and spun on my heel to walk away. Then I sensed danger and ducked. A dagger flew over my head and thudded into the tree in front of me. I turned my icey eyes upon the Battosai. "What the hell was that?" I hissed. He glared at me his violet eyes every bit as sharp as his dagger. "That was a reminder who is in charge here." I growled, "Oro?" He sneered, "And is that your little made up word?" I ground my teeth to hold back a torrnet of the worst curse words imaginable. "No, it means come again. Like you would give a damn." I spun on my heel once again and started running. I think I heard a sigh coming from behind me, but this time it was me who didn't give a damn.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It had been nearly a week since my fight with the Battosai and we were now back at the base in Kyoto waiting for our next missions. I never liked just sitting around waiting to be told what to do so I took a scouting mission. Unfortunately so did the Battosai. The mission was to try and find the Shinsengumi's base in Kyoto or at least find and kill some of its members. So as the tactians found out where we were needed in their safe little tents lit by the familiar glow of oil lamps we were out to turn the night ruby with blood.

It didn't bother me though. I had always liked the moonlight and the darkness. The Battosai and I slipped slightly and discretely from our base. We walked along the back streets of Kyoto for awhile until he turned to me. "Shingetsu, we should split up and search the city in sections. I'll take the lower class you take the upper class." I nodded and raced off.

I enjoyed going to the fancier richer places with the ones who thought their money would protect them from anything. I thought it was a good game trying to break through their security measures even when I was just a child on the streets. But even the best games get old when you're always the winner. That was how my life had become. I shook my head to clear it of all thought and emotion. I ran along the streets of the rich my eyes peeled for any sign of movement.

This made me think of when I had been younger. When I had been care free before the Revolution. Then I had lived in the back alleys of Kyoto. Then I had been a thief. I hadn't been proud of my sitution and so only took from those with large houses. I was thrown deeper into my thoughts by looking up and seeing that I was in front of the house where I had pulled my first job. I was on the streets in dirty clothes again and I was thirteen again. The house was daunting. I wasn't sure how to get in. So I threw my whip, which at the time had been braided twine, not leather, up on to the top of the gate and climbed over and snuck past the guards.

Thankfully I was torn from my thoughts by a noise behind me by a few yards. I spun around. Then they stepped out of the shadows. Saito, the captain of the 3rd Shinsengumi, and his posse. I sneered. "Well look what we have here. I hope your not here for a gala," I mocked him. His eyes were already as narrow as they could go but they seemed to twitch irratibly. "We are here for a fight. If you consider that a party..." he trailed off in an unspoken threat. I cracked my knukles. "Ready, when you are bastard!" They surrrounded me slowly, deliberately. I watched them with my eyes like a hawk.

I slowly reached for my whip. Time to pick up the pace. My hand flew to my whip and it was on the the first two men before the others, even Saito, had realized that she was already in motion. The first two had their skulls crushed instantly with the hard leather and steel coating. Their life blood sprayed on my face and clothes. The three others ran at me while Saito hung back. I didn't have time to worry about him. I flicked one man's sword out of his hands and stabbed his comrades with it. Then I threw the whip around his neck and choked him until he fell coughing blood.

Now I turned to Saito. He was nearly shaking with anger. "You little bitch!" he growled. I rolled my eyes then charged toward him yelling, "Why is it always because I'm a woman?" I threw my whip over his sword but he managed to wrench it from my grip. He ran toward me. He was too close of a range to block effectively with my whip. I dodged, but he hit. It wasn't bad. A small scratch but it took my shirt clean off. Thank god for bras.

I looked down at the moral damage. I shook my head. "If I was more of a lady I'd kill you for that..." I sighed. Saito cocked his head, "And since you're not?" I shrugged and held up my whip. I cracked it at him. He ducked but I had aticpated that and my whip curved downward slicing off his shirt. I laughed, "Now we're even." He shook his head. "We're not getting anywhere." I nodded. "Agreed, some other time then while we're both completely dressed, then?" He nodded and walked away not bother to take any part of his commrades with him.

I laughed once again at the situation. I took a blood stained jacket off of one of the bodies. I walked back to the camp. Battosai was leaned against a tree waiting for her. He took her appearance in with no expression. Though he might have done a double take on her almost naked top. "One hell of a scouting mission, Shingetsu?" She shrugged, "Saito and the Shinsengumi." This time he passively raised an eyebrow. "Saito did...that...to you?" he asked emphasising 'that'. I blushed and whacked him upside the head. "Not like that you pervert! It was a fight!"

He muttered something under his breath. I sighed. These males would never give me a break. They'd always treat me like a girl. You are a girl said a voice in my head. I pursed my lips. Stupid rationality. I stormed away. I prefferred fighting at least on that field me and boys were on even ground.


	3. Chapter 3

CHapter 3

Finally, we had our next mission. It was a high ranking official in the government, rather close to the government. His name was Ito. I only ever cared to know the last name of my targets. To me it felt like it was getting too personal if I knew them by first name. He lived a little ways off of Kyoto, close enough to keep an eye on affairs here and far enough away as to not get involved if things got too messy. The exact kind of person that hered me off. My impression of him was a fat government pig that thought he could rule over people and the world if only he had enough political standing. In fact if I were to take a guess I would say that he would be the one that would come to us if we won and beg us for mercy if we won, then turn around and climb up our government ladder. Not all of the killings we preformed I agreed with but this one I did.

As I said Ito's mansion was a little ways away from the city and as the maps showed it would be almost a day and a half's walking distance from our current location. That meant I would have to deal with the Battousai for at least 3 days if not more. The fight we had had only days before was not our first. We fought over almost everything. We both and short tempers, but I think that it was more my fault when we fought. He would be content to just get the job done, leave and never talk. However I always ended up shooting my mouth off at some little thing and his temper kicked in.

"Shingetsu," the Battousai's dark tone pulled me from my thoughts. The unspoken message, it was time to go. I stood and followed him right out of the camp. We walked and walked for hours after we left without saying a word. I was fine without speaking, but eventually the silence in the presence of another person got to me especially when there was no tension of anger or the thrill of a kill. I glanced over at the Battousai. He was staring straight ahead, his face expressionless. I sometimes wondered what he was thinking. I didn't know anything about him and he knew nothing about me. Our acquantance had been purely business and so we had never spoken of our pasts to the other. Sometimes I wish I could tell him things about myself just to get them off my chest. Often I almost did then I imagined him sneering at my daydreams and what I considered worthwhile in my past.

I sighed and looked forward as well. We traveled for another few hours when the Battousai stopped. I frowned in confusion. "Can you eat on the road or do you want to stop?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. "I can do whatever you can." He nodded without looking back at me and kept going. He tossed me back some hardtack. I looked at it. It was supposedly made of things similar to bread but I knew how hard on the teeth it was. I sucked on it to soften it a bit. My black hair fell into my face and I almost tripped over a rock. "Damn!" I swore. The Battousai looked back with slight interest.

"Did we have to get dressed up like this?" I groaned. Before we had left our tacticians and other wise people had advised us to disguise ourselves which I had protested against with fiery passion for they wanted to put me in a kimono and actually brush my hair out of it's usual ponytail. In the end both the Battousai and I had seen the wisdom in this and consented to being disguised. Now I wore a red flowered kimono and my hair hung lose around my face and my whip was hidden under the folds of my dress. The Battousai was in a dark blue dress suit. Secretly I sort of thought that he looked handsome in it, but I would never let him know that. Here, I hardly even let myself acknowledge it. However these masscarade costumes were making everything mucher harder for me.

"Maybe you should dress like this more often," the Battousai said quietly. My head snapped up to his face. I glared at him. "Make me!" I stormed off along the road. "You do we're supposed to be a couple walking to Tokyo, right?" he said just loud enough so I could hear. "So?" He answered, "Because we should be walking together." I knew that was true but it was infuriating to have to put up his feminist attitude. I growled softly but loud enough so he was very aware of my displeasure. I fell back to walk in step beside him.

We didn't speak for the rest of the trip. I was bruding and he was ignoring my silent anger toward him. We walked through the whole night and came upon the estate near midday on the next day. I looked upon the acres of land and the house at the center. If it could be called that. The house was certainly grand, a mansion perhaps, a large one at that. I took in the whole seen. We stopped. "We wait until tonight," he said in a voice that was little more than a whisper. I nodded. "Where?" He indicated the woods on the other side of the road and maybe a ten minute walk from there. I followed as he led the way to the forest.

When we were far enough away from the estate to comfortable I slipt off from him and took a small bag with me. I hid in the trees and dropped my dress. I took my normal clothes from the bag; a black wrap around tank top and lose black pants. I tied my tank to my body and stuffed my dress into the bag. I walked back to the Battousai who had also changed out of his dress clothes. I pulled my dark hair out of my eyes. Then we waited.

As night fell I looked over my steel coated whip. The end was still as hard and sharp as ever. "Who gets the polititian this time?" I asked. Battousai shrugged. "Ra-Sham-Boo?" I asked. He sighed but did as I asked. I lost, so he got the polititian and I had to deal with guards as he had last time. Finally it was time. We strode to the edge of the forest. We looked at each other and nodded. It was understood. I dashed out ahead of him. I was at the front gate. He jumped up on to the wall and snuck toward the tower. I threw myself over the wall after him.

He was probably already most of the way to polititian's room. I saw that some of the guards were heading toward the door of the mansion. I threw myself forward and flipped in front them and stood by the door swinging my whip. They were surprised for a moment then they all came at me at once. I turned into an animal. I was slashing and whacking and slicing and killing. As each guard fell I was stained with their blood.

After what seemed like minutes the Battousai was behind me and whispered in my ear, "Let's go." I nodded and we killed and hacked out way out of the courtyard and back over the wall. I looked at him while we ran. He looked worried. I glanced at his still drawn sword. It gleamed but not with blood, but with polish. My ruby eyes widened with a sudden dread. I stopped dead in my tracks. " What the hell happened in there?" I asked. "He wasn't there. It was a set up." His words rang in my ears. It was a set up. We had been set up. Those words set fire to my blood.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After the unsuccessful attack on the polititian, Ito, the Battousai and I ran back to the forest and changed our clothes. We went out to the main road and started walking. We had decided that the best thing to do now would be to actually go to Tokyo for if we went back to Kyoto we might be caught and have to murder our way back out of the city. Seeing as the rebels also had allies in Tokyo it would be wisest and most beneficial to go hideout in Tokyo for a while. So that was where we were traveling along a back road to Tokyo.

I was still thinking about that mansion we had gone to. It was the right one, the one our contacts had told us about. Was it faulty information? Had the goverment simply found out on their own or was there a leak in the Ishin Shi Shi? I glanced at the Battousai. If I knew him at all he was thinking of the same things I was, but there was an extra layer of ice to his eyes that I hadn't seen before. For a while, while we walked I wondered what that was about. It seemed like he was suspicious or guarding himself in some way. I shrugged it off then went back to my own thoughts. My mind immediately wondered to the thought that there might be a leak in the rebel force. As far as I knew it could be anyone. Even...the man standing beside me.

My mind paused for a moment as my feet pounded on the dirt in front of me. What if the Battousai was really behind this? I truly did want to trust at least him but I couldn't if I were to ensure my own safety. I could see no motive for him to betray us, but I still couldn't shake my suspisions. I turned toward him once again and I knew the ice in his eyes was him suspecting and not trusting me as well or maybe it was just an act. I growled at myself. Why was everything so complicated? For once I would like to just know who was my enemy and who was my friend. That was a foolish fantasy for a hitokiri to have I knew, but everyone had to have a dream to get them through these dark days of revolution didn't they?

After losing track of how long we had been walking the Battousai and I finally reached Tokyo. The people bustled about, fearing that sudden battle may break out at any moment. That was the era of fear that we lived in. I was almost ashamed to be a part of the turmoil but I knew that by fighting I may ensure protection for the weak and to me that was worth fighting for.

"Battousai, where are our allies here," I said quietly. "Shhh!" he hissed. "Here even the walls have ears." I nodded grudgingly. I hoped that he at least knew where we were going. And apparently her did as he led me along weaving back alleyways and small streets to a dark back street with house that were squeezed so close together that not even a starved cat could fit in between them. The Battousai led the way up to a small house and knocked softly on the door. The door opened a crack. "Where does the Emperor get his gold?" a voice asked. "From the pockets of widows and orphans," the Battousai whispered back. The door opened and they were hurried inside.

An old man stood in the dimly lit hallway. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am the Battousai and this is the Shingetsu," he answered. The man seemed awed for a moment then recovered. "Well you must be tired from your travels. I'm afraid I only have one room, but well I hope it will acomidate. You can make yourselves comfortable while I make you something to eat." He left us in front of a room. I followed the Battosai in. It was small. Definitely only big enough for one person no matter how looked at it. "I'll go on the roof," I offered before he could. Now if he refused I had an excuse to start a fight over his sexist attitude. He shrugged but said nothing.

So we just stood there. It was rather awkward standing with the Battousai in an overly small room. We avioded each others eyes. So maybe we were both being slightly sexist now. Finally we heard the old man call us to dinner and we were relived of the tension. Or so we thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: Sorry this is soo late I was at my friend's house and then I got a new computer so...

Chapter 5

We went down to dinner at the man's call. The dining room was like everything else in the house, small. It was dimly lit by a single oil lamp in the corner. There was one chair on one side of the table and two on the other. I could almost feel the Battousai's releuctance to sit down. It matched mine, however we sat to be polite to our ally who was sheltering us. When we sat we were so close that if we didn't tense ourselves our elbows would be touching and of course our host promptly told us to relax. He brought out some rice balls, meat stew, and sake. I immediately went for the sake while the Battousai went to for the meat stew. I couldn't figure out why he never drank. Not ever. Maybe it was because he didn't want to get drunk. I had heard when men got drunk tended to be violent and in the Battousai's case. He would probably kill someone. I had never had that problem. I could always keep my head about me when I drank.

The man spoke for a while. We found his name was Kedo. He had always wanted to learn how to handle a sword, but had never had the initiative to go through with it. He said he admired us for what we were doing for the country. He called us patriots. I laughed in my head. It was more like murders in my perception, but we were doing for a good cause. That didn't justify it though. Then the man asked, "So enough of me. Tell me of your travels." The Battousai and I looked at each other. Neither of us really wanted to tell him of what we had to do. It would be better if he just kept his foolish fantasies about this revolution. I answered, "We're very sorry we can't speak of our missions. They're confidential." He sighed sadly then he turned his attentions to me. "Well could you at least tell me how that whip of yours works. I've never seen one in action before?"

I cursed myself for talking. My whip was designed specifically for beating any sword and killing swifting and from a long distance. That was all there was to tell. "Well I can't really give you a demonstration seeing as it would draw attention to us if I went out into the streets of Tokyo throwing a whip around. As to how it works, exactly how you would think it does." I hope my answer was not too harsh, but it did get him to stop bothering us with war questions. He went back to talking about what he would have liked to do in his youth and how he wished he could be in the revolution. This went on long after the dinner was done. The Battousai let his elbow hit mine. I glanced over at him. He wanted me to free us from having to listen to any more of the man's rantings. I growled inwardly. He always made me be his mouth when he was too lazy to tell someone he didn't give a damn about what they had to say anymore.

I sighed, "Excuse me sir, our travels were long and we would like to have some rest if you don't mind." He nodded his understanding and we were excused. We climbed the stairs up to the room that Kedo had provided. When we reached it we stood akwardly again for a few moments. Then I walked over to the window. "Have a nice night, Battousai," I said as I grabbed the side of the roof and heaved myself up. I heard him grunt other than that he made no recognition that I had said anything. I realized as I pulled my hair out of its ponytail that he was being more antisocial and depressed than usual. It probably wasn't the greatest idea I had ever had, but I decided that I was going to spy on the Battousai to see if I could find out what was bothering him.

I wrapped my whip around the gutter on the roof and slid down until I was eye level with the room. I peered was sitting on the bed with his sword in his hands. I frowned and cocked my head in a silent question to myself. What was he doing? I looked closer as he drew his sword. A single thought crossed my mind. What if he was going to commit suicide? That wasn't like him though. He'd take whatever life gave him and live through it and come out on top. At least I hoped so.

He ran his finger along his sword and then he suddenly turned toward me. I threw myself back up against the building. "Why don't you stop hiding and come in Shingetsu?" I sighed but climbed in the window. He was still holding his sword. Oh god, I wondered how this was going to turn out.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Why don't you come in from there Shingetsu?" That's what he said to me! Then as an after thought he said, "Unless you plan to assassinate me." I blushed. Hitokiri humor was the worst in the world. I climbed in the window while attempting to keep my lose hair out of my eyes. "Why were you spying on me?" he asked bluntly. I blushed harder. "Well, I just noticed you go into on of your dark mood swings and I wondered what you were going to do." He raised an eyebrow. "And you care because of ...why?" Once again I blushed. Why was I being so emotional today? "Whoever said I cared? I just wanted to make sure you wouldn't go crazy and start doing...stupid things?" That sounded like a poor excuse even to me. Which was sad.

To my surprise he beckoned me to sit on the bed beside him. I didn't know why but almost involentarily I went over to him. We sat there for a bit neither of us quite sure what to say. "It's too soft isn't it?" I said slowly trying to difuse the tension. He nodded, "When that man spoke so favorably of our position and glorified us what did you think?" I looked at him with a question in my eyes. I wasn't exactly sure how to answer him. "Well, I guess I had to disagree with him," I said carefully. He nodded. "Tell me, Shingetsu, sometimes when we kill someone does it feel to you that you are losing your humanity as I do?" For the first time he looked at me and his eyes weren't filled with distain for me or my gender, and they weren't the eyes of a hitokiri either. They were soft and full of the doubts that I often experienced myself.

I nodded, "Of course, everytime." He sighed with relief. "I thought I might be the only one." I grabbed his arm. "Idiot, don't you remember what I told you when we first made into partners?" He frowned. I shook my head, "I told you that we were in this together. Anything one of us feels is probably felt by the other as well." He looked down at me with a surprised expression. I realized that I was still holding his arm. I let go quickly and put my hands in my lap. "But how do you manage to keep your humanity?" he asked me. I shrugged, "I guess it helps that all throughout our missions I try to take my mind off of what I'm doing. It doesn't always work though." Then he asked, "How do you keep you mind off of it?" I grinned, "I repeat my name over and over in my head, not my code name my real name. And I think of my family and friends."

He was staring at me. "Your name and family and friends?" he said dully. I frowned, "What did you think I was just an invention of the rebels and not a real person?" I meant it as a joke but he took it seriously. "Yes, sometimes that how it feels. No one knows anything about anyone else." I thought about it for a moment. It was true. "Well there's nothing we can really do about that is there?" I sighed. He raised an eyebrow, "Why not?" I grinned. He was playing on my rebel sense. "Because they don't want us telling anyone too much about ourselves in case their was ever a spy or traitor." He looked at me with his intense, but no violent, eyes. I blushed. "Don't you think you can trust me?"

I blushed and swallowed, "Do you trust me?" He smiled! A real smile! "My original name was Shintah when I was a slave. I never knew my parents. Then my master Sejuro Hiko took me in to teach me the Hiten Mitzerugi Ryu and named me Kenshin. I left my training to join the revolution and was noticed by one of the leaders and made hitokiri. I chose the name Battousai for myself." My mouth hung open. He had just told me his whole life's stroy! Did he really trust me that much? I glanced at him. I sighed. He was now looking at anything and everything except me. I pulled my legs up to my chest because it was my turn.

"My name is Mizuki, always was always has been. My mum died in child birth and I never knew my father. I had a sister, Hikari. She was older than I was. We were theives to get food to eat and we lived in Kyoto. Then the reveolution started. My sister made the mistake of trying to steal from one of the Shinsengumi and got killed senselessly. Before that my sister had always wanted me to protect myself and wanted me to have a dagger, but I had always been fasinated with whips so I practiced hard and she said I could use a whip instead. I joined the revolution in Kyoto to get revenge for my sister and They saw my skill with a whip and recruited me." I shrugged and looked up at him again. He was looking right back at me. Our eyes met and we stared for a few seconds. We blushed and turned away.

"Well I guess its time to get some sleep. We need our rest to deal with the polititians at the Tokyo base." I went to climb out the window and on to the roof again. "Why don't you sleep on the bed? I don't need it." I spun around and was about to shoot my mouth off about his feminist attitude when I saw his eyes again. He was being kind not a pig and that wasn't the only thing that made me quiet. "Miss Mizuki" I blushed. He called me miss. I reluctantly agreed to have the bed and accept his kindness.

"Good night, Shintah," I said to him as he slept across the room sitting up. I him smirk in the dark. "You know no one calls me that, but good night Miss Mizuki." I grinned, "You know no one calls me miss or anything that shows that I'm a lady." We chuckled for a bit. Then i fell asleep with Shintah as my guard. God! It felt good to know that he wasn't only the Battousai.

Author's Notes: I appologize for any typos I missed I typed this in hobo gloves so it was hard as you can imagine


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I woke the next morning to a movement on my back. I groaned quietly and opened my eyes. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and saw Shintah frozen standing over me. I jumped up and slid to the far corner of the bed. "Oro! Holy Here! What are you doing?" He blushed. "Um...well I was just wonder about your whip last night. I've never seen anyone use it like you do. You know the way you can make it go whatever way you want it to. So I was curious." I noticed that this was the most he had ever spoken to me. Maybe he wanted to be friends now...who knows.

I gestured for him to sit down beside me which he did. I unravel the whip from my back. It felt strange to have it just unraveled and not snapped out with venom. I took his hands and gently laid my whip down in them. I was a little worried about letting anyone even Shintah hold my weapon but every friendship started with trust right? So I just watched as he turned it over in his hands. "It's steel tip, that allows you to kill and the hardened leather allows you to only wound. It must be nice to have a choice." I shrugged, "It's not really a choice. I kill who I am told to kill and those who don't need to die won't by my hand. However if you consider this a choice then you have one too."

He stopped looking over my whip and looked toward me. "Your sword doesn't have be an instrument of killing. You could always just decide to wound and not kill people." I didn't know at that moment how much that idea would take hold in his head so I didn't bother to go into it further. He just nodded and stood. "Well I guess its time we told them about the set up." He held out my whip to me. I took it and put it back on my back. Great telling our superiors about the set up. We were dead.

We were back out on the street. Kedo had given us directions on how to get to the Tokyo Rebel Base. We strode through the streets trying our best not to draw attention to ourselves. I sighed to myself. While we were on the streets last night was gone like it had never happened. He was the Battousai again and I was Shinugetsu again. That was one thing I wasn't glad about.

Soon we reached the base. I looked at Shint-er-the Battousai. "I vote you do the talking." He rolled his eyes but went in. Even from the outside I could hear the yelling and swearing. Yeah, I don't think they were too happy about this new development. The Battousai came out with a bigger scowl than usual.

"What did they say?" I asked. He shook his head. "They have no idea where Ito might be. We have to find him and kill him on our own." She smacked her forehead. "For god's sake we're killers not researchers or spies!" He nodded, "I know." "Well this is going to be fun."

Author's Notes: Sorry this was so short the next one will be longer, but I have to go work on a manga I'm working on or my friend'll flip on me.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Notes: Finally Midterm week is over! I am soooooo happy I had all my midterms, science, math, english, history, all today. It was terrible. I hope i'll be able to catch up on my stories now.

Chapter 8:

I was not happy about this new development. I didn't complain though. However in my mind I was thinking. What the hell? I was a hitokiri! Not an investigator! It seemed we had no choice in the matter though. Shintah and I sat on the bed in Kedo's house once again trying to figure out where to start. "Well what experience do you have with searching for people?" he asked. "I've interrogated people before..." I said slowly wondering if that counted. "Meaning?" he pried farther. "I beat up people for information." He sighed.

"Niether of us has any idea on how to do any of this." I nodded. He shook his head the fire relit in his eyes. I knew that he had now classified this as a challenge. That meant there was no way I was getting out of helping. "Well first of all we need the smartest one of us to go around civilly asking for information. Then the stronger one to go beat up people." I raised an eyebrow, "Let me think...you're the smartest. You get to be civil." He interupted me, "Or we could both play both parts and cover more ground." There was a mischievious little twinkle in his eye. I frowned. I had a feeling I was about to be put through hell.

Next day

So that was how it was going to be. By day we would ask around Tokyo about Ito and at night we would be Hitokiris beating information out of people. Here's the best part though. We were going to be normal people. Meaning I was now dressed in a ruby kimono with a golden pattern and sash. I was glaring at Shintah. He looked over at me. "What?" he asked. "I'm in a dress and my whip is not even close to being easily acessable!" He looked me up and down. "Where did you put your whip anyhow?" I glared harder. He smirked.

Then we split up to search the town. I took down town this time and he took up town. I wasn't exactly sure where to go. I looked around the town until I saw a stew place called the Akabeko. I saw that most people were gravitating there. I shrugged. I might as well check it out. If I didn't get a lead at least I'd get a meal. I strode through the front door and nearly ran into a girl who was only up to my chest. I caught her. "Sorry, kid," I muttered still looking around. She blushed.

I let go of her. She straightened herself. "Welcome to the Akabeko, follow me please," she said. I noted she was rather professional for being so young. I followed her to an empty table. "Please look over the menu. I'll be back soon." She smiled. I nodded. I didn't have time to look at the menu though because I heard men talking. "Did you hear the shogun supporter Ito tricked the Hitokiris in the Shadows?" My ears perked up. "Yeah I heard he ran away somewhere very hush hush,' said the other.

I wanted to go over right then but I knew it wasn't the time. Then the girl that had seated me went over to bring them their food. "Bend a little lower girl. Let's see what you've got," one chuckled. My head snapped around. She was blushing as the men catcalled. My fists clenched. One grabbed her arm. She tugged at her arm. "Please sir let go.' He laughed. I stood quickly and grabbed the man's wrist. I twisted it painfully so he let go of the girl.

I took the girl's shoulders and put her behind me. "You're pathetic. Trying to take away a young girl's diginity. You bastards!" I punched one and turned to the other and whispered, "I want all your information on where Ito is hiding." He turned white but shook his head. "No way!" I glared at him with my eyes glowing dangerously. "Tell me or my personal assassin will visit you tonight and she's ten times worse than I." He backed up. "You're drunk if you think I'll betray Ito!" I leaned closer. "Do you smell alchohol on my breath. If you want to keep your life you will tell me where he is." He swallowed and looked around nervously. I ran a finger along his neck. "Not fine skin at all but easy enough to slit." He was shaking now. He knew I meant what I said because of the murderer radiating from my eyes. "H-He's in a small estate a few miles south of Tokyo. I swear that's all I know."

I knew that was all he knew. I punched him just hard enought to knock him out. "Filthy goverment supporter," I murmered then I turned back to the girl. "Are you okay, kid?" She nodded. Her face showed that she was in awe of me. I blushed. I wasn't used to that look. I started toward the door. "Miss you didn't get anything to eat!" she cried. I paused. "What's your name kid?" She looked down. "Tai," she said softly. "Well Tai, I might come back here to eat one day and I don't ever want to see you being pushed around again ok?" She nodded. With that I left. I had to tell Shintah what I had found.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

I ran back to the house of Kedo and waited for Shintah to return. He made me wait for a long while at least for three hours. When he finally came he was still in his dress clothes. I was half tempted to laugh and the other half was my femine half so who knows what it wanted to do. I ran up to him. "I found what we looking for." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Let's talk inside."

With that we headed into the house and up to the room that we were currently using as our investigations headquarters. That only meant that there were useless paper strewn all over the place. He cleared a space on the bed and we sat. "So what did you learn?" he asked. "Apparently Ito is staying in a small estate just south of this city." He grunted then added, "Southwest." My head sprang up. "And what did you learn?" I said. He ignored me and wrote on a map. "O silent one I would appreciate it if you would impart your wisdom." He gave me a weird look but sighed and looked up.

"You wouldn't believe what servants hear from their nobles." I chuckled. "I can only imagine. So that's where you heard southwest from?" He nodded. I peered over his shoulder at the map. "So what're you doing here?" I asked. He was circling places on the map. "There are three estates southwest of Tokyo within 15 miles, a short way away. We could check them all." I nodded. "Yeah that sounds good." He stood and strode over to the door. "We should start now."

I looked up. "But I found that information at a beef stew restraunt and well..." I smiled in a sort of pleading way. His face was passive. "No." He wallked away. I ran after him. "Hey! Why not?" He answered, "They know you there now and knowing you, you probably did something dumb and possibly heroic that brought unnessasry attention to yourself." I blushed and kept my mouth shut. That lasted for about a minute. My growling stomach made me open my mouth again. "Hey I didn't even have lunch and I'm hungry!"

Shintah threw a circle of hardtack back at me. I caught it and mumbled, "Great, just the delicious dinner I had always wanted." Then I think that Shintah gave a little half laugh. It was the first time I had ever heard anything that resembled him laughing so I couldn't be sure. "Has anyone ever told you sometimes you don't seem like you are living in this revolution?" I cocked my head. "That's a strange question. Why do you ask that?" He shrugged. "Well look at yourself," he had stopped in the middle of the hallway. "You're worrying about food when we're planning on killing someone. Even if I were hungry before just thinking of killing someone would usually take away even my hunger, but you just seem to ignore it."

I just stood there numb for a moment. Was that true? Was I really that strange? Then I forced myself to smile and walk up to him. I gently whacked him upside the head. "Like I told you its best not to think about it. Besides wouldn't it be boring if everyone was as black and white dull as you." He rolled his eyes. "I guess it would get a bit tedious without you, but please don't force your strangeness on me right now." I looked into his eyes. They weren't quite the eyes of the killer I had grown used to. It was different like he wasn't quite ready to kill again.

On impulse I took his hand. He looked at me then looked away and blushed. I was pretty sure that I was as red as a rose as well. "Come on, I'll eat the hardtack if you stop being so depressed." He sighed. "Shintah," I finished. He glanced at me and I was rewarded with a small smile. He clutched my hand back. "Thank you, Miss Mizuki. I think I needed that." He was looking at me with strange eyes that had an emotion that I couldn't quite place. I turned away because it made me uncomfortable. I think I was feeling the same thing he was, but I covered it up. "Heh, just be glad I didn't beat you back into shape."

He laughed, "Come now, you think you could really beat me in a fight?" I cracked my knuckles. "You wanna see just how good I can beat you." We grinned at each other then faced back toward the street we were walking down. "Maybe when this is all over we could have an all out fight." he said. I nodded, "Minus the to the death part right?" He nodded. "Of course."

So we walked into the sunset hand in hand heading toward the home of our next victim. As darkness fell we were no longer Shintah and Mizuki. We were Battousai and Shingetsu and we were on a mission from hell.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Notes:Sorry this is late, but well i failed a math test and my parents were poed so...yeah you get the picture

Chapter 10:

It felt just like old times. I was in my black pants and shirt which felt so much better than a dress. I glanced over at Shintah. He was also ready. We nodded to each other and ran out of the cover of darkness toward the mansion we had found earlier that night. We had decided that it would be better if we got this done quickly. Once again I was to deal with the guards while he was to kill Ito. That was fine by me. Killing was killing no matter who died I still felt dirty afterward. I sighed as we ran.

Soon we were upon the estate. It was indeed small. The gates were pathetic. I jumped over the wall quickly cutting the guards that I saw patrolling at the moment before they could sound the alarm. Shintah raced past me and into the mansion. I killed each and every guard the I could lay my whip on. I went around the border of the estate to make sure everyone was down before going in after him. Twenty guards. I shook my head. Such as sad protective force. I took them all out within a matter of minutes. I ran through the mansion trying to find other guards leaving a trail of blood behind me.

I was slaying a few of the guards I had found on the second floor when I heard a cry. Battousai had done his job. I was correct in my assumption. He came running down the stairs. I followed him out of the mansion. There were no more guards to cut down on our way out which made it considerably easier. We were in and out in less than an hour leaving behind us a deceased politictian and a mansion that had been plunged into a dead silence.

~The Next Day~

Shintah and I stood before the leaders of the base in Tokyo. They nodded at our story. "Do you have proof?" Shintah seemed apalled that they would even ask that, but I had expected something like this after we hadn't been able to kill Ito the first time. "Yes." He looked over at me surprised. I took out a round object wrapped in a scarf. I dropped a head out of the material. It was Ito's head with blood still in a pool around his neck. Shintah looked slightly disgusted but he hid it well. They nodded. "Yes, good. Now we have to discuss your next asignments." We glanced at each other. By the tone of the man's voice we got the feeling that this wouldn't be something we would like.

"Shingetsu, we have decided that it's time for you to go on your own missions. You see we need both of you." I nodded. Now I was sure I wasn't going to like this. "Now Battousai, today you will be departing for Kyoto. That is where you positioned at least until this one target is eliminated. As for you Shingetsu, you will stay here and take the miscellanious assassinations." I reluctantly nodded. They just had to separate us as we were beginning to become friends.

We walked outside the tent. I looked at Shintah and he looked at me. I shrugged, "Well I guess, this is it." I extended my hand. He took it. "Yes I guess so." For a moment it was akward then he pulled me into an embrace. Despite myself I felt the warmness of his body and I hate to say I enjoyed it. I knew when I took this job that I would be with men most of the time and I had promised myself that I could never fall in love as long as I wanted to fight. Damn! Shintah was messing with my whole plan! Maybe it was for the best that we would have some time away from each other. However at the moment I just returned his embrace.

"I hope you don't consider this being a feminist," he said as we broke apart. I laughed, "No. It's just who you are?" He gave me a questioning look. I smacked him gently upside the head. "Face it you're a hopeless romantic." He smirked. "Then what does that make you?" I blushed. "Oro?" I asked nervously. He shook his head. "Never mind. Just don't die, Miss Mizuki." I blushed harder. "You die and I bring you back and kick you ass across Japan." He grinned and with that we parted ways. He was off to Kyoto and I was here in Tokyo. Oh well maybe I'd get to eat at the Akebecko now.


	11. Chapter 11

CHapter 11

I walked Shintah as far away from Tokyo that I could. When I stopped he just kept walking. I wished that we didn't have to part like this. I swore to myself. I walked slowly back to Tokyo. I knew that this would be my last day of rest before I had to go back to the hell of the Revolution. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do now. I sighed but decided to walk around Tokyo and just see what it had to offer before it too was stained with blood. I saw all the ladies with their beautiful kimonos and the men all carrying swords in case they should need them. However the air was tense like everyone was hoping that nothing would occur today. That they would be favored to live. I knew that I was part of the reason for this and it made me sad. I just hoped that in the end it would all be worth it.

I continued allong the main road of Tokyo. I noticed how different I was from the other women. They all flocked to the jewel vendors to look at everything that sparkled. I found that I felt no pull whatsoever toward the glittering expensive rocks instead I glanced over to the swordsmith shop where most of the men were gathered. I shook my head and moved on. I cursed at myself. Had I really not yet accepted that I was not like normal girls? And that I never would be? I sighed well now maybe I would realize that I was a warrior and not a woman.

I thought of Shintah. ...he made me feel like a human, like a woman. I had liked how I felt when I was with him. Now he was off in Kyoto. Damn, he could already be dead in these dangerous days! I need to get my mind off this. I needed another job. I trekked back to the base of the revolution in Tokyo.

As I arrived they looked up surprised. "What are you doing back hell already Shingetsu?" I glared at them through my narrowed eyes. "Sir, I need to get back to work." I'm pretty sure that they didn't understand why I had only taken about half of my first day off, but they did as I requested anyhow. "Shingetsu, as of now the thorn in our side closest to Tokyo is Oshiro. He's a tactitian that is very effective in planning the battles for the Shogun. It would be much easier to fight these battles if he were out of the way." I nodded. "Consider him eliminated."

With that I took the briefing and swept out. I went to the back to the Akebecko. I finally got my beef stew. As I ate I looked over the papers about Oshiro. He was the type of person I hated. A fat tactitian who could plan but when the time came he was always far away from danger as he possibly could be. He wasn't really worth my time but I had to do as I was told.

I went to where they said his mansion was. It was far to the west of Tokyo in the middle of no where. He was a prize coward. The world wouldn't miss him. I went up to the front gates of the mansion at twilight. I perched on the the wall and looked down at the guards. I hid in shadow. It was time. I jumped down on the shoulders of a man that was passing by under me. I knocked him down and bounced off of him. I cracked my whip and brought it down on the man's head.

I ran quickly into the mansion. It wasn't late enough for him to be in his bedroom but it was too late for him to be in his planning room. Most likely he would be eating. I ran toward his dining room. I kicked down the doors and came in with my whip flashing. The two guards that stood beside him were dead in a matter of seconds. Oshiro froze as he saw me. "Dear," he breathed. "Impressvive." I pulled back my whip for a final kill. "Now, now, you don't need to do that." He held out a wad of money in his hand.

I shook my head. "I'm afraid I do have to do this." He dug in his pockets and took out enough more money. I chuckled. "Please, I am a revolutionary! I don't need your money! I am here to cleanse Japan of people like you. So die on your money that you think will bring you security." I pulled back and drove the sharp end of my whip through his heart and back out again neatly. He fell his blood staining the money in his hands. I put my whip on my back once again.

I walked back outside and jumped over the wall quickly before other guards could raise the alarm. I looked up at the cresent moon. It cast eerie shadows on my face. I wondered if Shintah was seeing the same moon on the road to Kyoto.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Notes:Sorry this is late, I was sorta busy with my other fanfics and rps and now watching Hetalia. Good show, but I will try to keep up with this better from now on.

Chapter 12:

I sat on my bed wondering what my next assignment would be. There was always anothe politician that wanted to cause us trouble or someone who was supplying the Shogun. No matter what there was never an end of the people who needed killing. I sighed and rolled over on to my stomach. Sometimes that fact bothered me. Tonight was one of those times. I was worrying about myself and sanity and such things. Why was I killing all these people anyway? I didn't have time to answer my own question. There was a letter pushed under my door. (I was set up at an inn now. It of couse supported us so I got the room for free).

I took the letter and read it. Once again they came to me to be their hitokiri. I sighed. Well that was my job. Tommorrow would be soon enough to get to work on this. I undressed and crawled under the blankets on the bed. I somehow managed to fall asleep. I had trained myself long ago not to dream about what I had to do during the day but sometimes that didn't work

~For the next few months that was what I did. I slayed those who they said needed to be dead. I preformed my assignments perfectly, with deadly precision. Until that night when a letter came from Kyoto~

I was walking into the base of Tokyo. When I came in everyone was looking at me with sad/serious looks. I frowned, this didn't look good at all. "What is it?" I asked. One of them handed a letter across the desk to me. I skimmed through the first part. Blah, blah, blah, then a line caught my attention. _The rebels in Kyoto has fallen._ What? I screamed in my head while trying to keep my face passive, but I still think it twitched. "What are we going to do," I said with a forced calm.

They looked at each other. "Shingetsu, we want you to go scout out the damage and report to us here in Tokyo." I nodded and tried to ask without bringing suspicion, "So, Battosai is?" I think that they knew I cared more than I was willing to let on. "He's safe. He's in a safe house just outside of Kyoto. You can go visit him after you've completed your mission." I glanced up shocked that they would offer that, but, I nodded and left before they could take it back.

That night I was on the road to Kyoto. I was worried about Battosai, even if he was in a safe house. I thought that maybe he could be hurt. It would be just like them not to tell me anything about that. I hurried on my way to Kyoto. I managed to reach the city by the next day at afternoon. I threw a cloak over my face. I glanced into one of my favorite bars and saw it was overun with Shinsengumi. I shook my head. The letter had no lied. I walked along the back alleyways. They had said to observe and that's all so I was doing my best to stay away from all trouble. Knowing me, guess what happened! Trouble found me through no fault of my own!

"Well, I didn't think that even you would have the gall to show your face in Kyoto again." I turned to see Saito. I smirked. "I am not showing my face. I have a hood over it." He narrowed his eyes which I imagined would be hard for the fact of his eyes were already like pinholes. "I don't appreciate your sarcasm." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Well I don't apreciate you blocking my way." He frowned and drew his sword and lunged. I unraveled my whip quickly and smacked his sword away. I ran down the alleyway and used my whip to get on top of the houses. "I'm sorry, Mr. Saito. I don't have time to play with you today." I waved mockingly. I heard him swearing as I ran across the rooves. I grinned.

For the rest of the day I was slinking around observing Kyoto. The rebels here had indeed fallen. The Shinsengumi was everywhere. I sighed. I had hoped that the letter had been mistaken or at least an attempt to ocupy us, but unfortunately it had been real. For the rebels to fall like this and this quickly, it confirmed what Shintah and I had thought at the beginning when Ito had avoided us that first time. There was a traitor and that traitor had been in Kyoto with Shintah.

The next day I rushed back to the Tokyo base to tell them what I had seen. I was very glad I had had the presence of mind to write it all down. I wouldn't have been able to remember it all otherwise and it saved me time. The sooner I got them their information the sooner I got to go see Shintah.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I told the leader of the Ishin Shi Shi all of what I had seen in Kyoto. In exchange they finally gave me the location of where Shintah was. It was apparently a small shack about ten miles from the outskirts of Kyoto. I started out the next morning. I walked until about five, well I actually ran, but...

When I reached the place I saw Shintah in the field. He was working like a farmer. I smirked. I had never thought I would see him doing something like that. I started to run toward him and opened my mouth to call out to him when a woman came out. "Kenshin!" she callled. He turned and walked into the house with her. I skidded to a stop and my mouth still hung ajar. There was a woman...? No one had told me there would be a woman... I bit my lip. I wasn't sure what was going on here, but I wanted to know.

I felt slightly guilty about spying on Shintah. However I felt more angst about not even knowing whats going on. I peered in the window. I saw Shintah and the woman sitting around eating their dinner and laughing. He looked so...happy. I had never seen him that happy when I had been with him.

How was I supposed to deal with this. I got annoyed and pissy with him then I would have to admit that I loved him. But if I didn't do something and just walked away now then I would feel terrible for probably the rest of my life. I bit my lip. I wanted to ask him about her, but how was I supposed to do that. I mean it would have to be an awkward conversation.

That night I slept in a tree which wasn't a bright idea because the next morning I heard a shovel striking dirt and was startled. I fell out of the tree and landed on the ground with a thud. Shintah's head spun to see me. I blushed as our eyes met. I gave a little wave. "Hey!"

He went over and extended his hand to help me up. I took it. "Why are you here, Miss Mizuki?" I paused. He had used my real name that was a good sign, right? Oh I don't know. "I came here after scouting Kyoto. Were you there when it fell?" I felt like smacking myself. Really you haven't seen this guy in about three months and all you can think to talk about is business and revolution. He nodded. He was rather untalkitive. "Well who's the lady?" He glanced at me then stared into the house with a strange expression in his eyes. I think it might have been...love.

"Her name is Miss Tomoe. She was a servant at the base in Kyoto. She's here now posing as my wife until I can go back to work." I froze and almost choked on the air I was breathing. "What? Never mind. I only stopped for a bit. I have to go get my next assignment!"

I ran past him. "Wait, won't you stay for a while?" I ignored him. He wouldn't really want me with them in their perfect life. I don't think I could stay there and look into their happy faces while I had to stand and steal glances at them from behind a curtain of blood. Tomoe, the name was bitter in my mouth. I knew that I couldn't really hate because I had never even met the woman, but still I think the feeling I was feeling was sorrow mixed with jealousy. Sorrow because I think that I had felt something for Shintah and had missed my chance to say it and jealousy because I wanted what Tomoe now had.

But I knew I had no right to feel anything. I had had my chance to have Shintah. To make him mine. I had lost it. I had let the opportunities slip by. I felt tears crowded my eyes and soon enough I was crying. I wanted to run back and tell Shintah what I really felt, but what I really should have done was tell him when he was near me. "I love you Shintah."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Soon after I learned what Shintah was up to I heard that something had happened that had forced him to leave his life of farming. Somthing having to do with Tomoe. Anyhow the situaiton had the superiors worried that they might lose one of their most effective assassins. So they thought that it would be a great idea to dispatch me to go "save" him and Tomoe. And I had no real grounds to refuse their orders. I mean in war love couldn't really have a place. So I just swallowed my pride and took the misson.

So that was where I was. On the road to that house outside of Kyoto. I sighed. Oh well. Soon enough I reached the house. I went in and saw that everyone was gone. Shintah had taken his sword. Who was he planning to kill? I followed his footprints away from the house and into the forest. Then I came across the first blood drops and a dead body. Well it seems that during his time off he had gotten sloppy. His strokes and slashes weren't as percise as they had been before. But at least he was still alive as of whenever this guy died.

I continued forward wondering if Shintah still had enough of his old skill to survive to the end of this forest maze. I came across about two more bodies in the forest. I followed his footprints to a temple looking place. I saw a man standing there with the girl Tomoe and Shintah was on his knees. I wasn't exactly sure what to do. If I just went in and rush the man he could easily kill Tomoe and my misson would be compromised. However if I waited he could possibly kill Shintah and I would be in even more trouble.

I bit my lip and forced myself to stay still and simply watch for now. Then Shintah decided to be impulsive. He stabbed upward at the man. I saw what was going to happen about a second before it actually did. Tomoe threw herself in front of the man and Shintah's sword peirced through both bodies. Then he saw what he had done and dropped his sword. He took Tomoe in his arms. I felt like I should look away, like I wasn't welcome in this scene, but I couldn't tear my eyes from them. Tomoe took a dagger and slowly drug the blade across Shintah's cheek to complete an X shaped scar on his cheek that was new since I had been with him in Tokyo.

Shintah was crying and I knew why. I had seen people before death before and that was where Tomoe was heading. I felt a tear drip down my cheek too. I felt terrible because my tear wasn't for the dying woman. My tear was for Shintah whenever he hurt it hurt me too. I knew that it didn't make any sense for me to care about someone else's sorrow, but I just couldn't help it.

I still felt like I was intruding in this scene so went back along the trail through the forest. Shintah would be fine the iminate danger was gone besides he needed sometime along. After all his...love had just died. Now I was running and the tears were falling like rain. This pain I understood. I was hurt from myself. I had lost something. And I didn't think that I could ever get it back. I ran past the house. I would return once Shintah went back to the house. I would tell him that he needed to return then. It wasn't a job I relished doing.

Author's Notes: Sorrythis chapter was rather short but I had drama practice plus I have to update on Fictionpress to so...ya sorry but the next one will be nice and long and probably emotional for Shintah and Mizuki


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

I stood outside of the house. I glanced inside. Shintah's tears had long since stopped and now he was staring blankly at Tomoe's body. I wasn't fancying going in and telling him that he had to go back to the way he was. To killing. I already knew that he would never be the same. Maybe it was better this way. At the very least I hope it made him happy.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to go in. I tried to enter quietly, but he still heard me. I guess his skills were still sharp. "Shintah, I'm afrai-" I interupted myself when I saw the sad look in his eyes. It wasn't like he was going to cry, no, it was a look as if he didn't know where to go or what to do. Or even why this had happened. I went over and sat beside him. He went back to staring at Tomoe's body. "She was very precious to you," I said in little more than a whisper so as not to disrespect the atmosphere.

Then he seemed to have a renewal of tears. He was just sobbing. I bit my lip, but took his head and laid it on my shoulder. I rubbed his hair. "Don't worry. This will work out, someday. You-" He cut me off with a sob. "I-i *sniff* killed her!" That very statement brought on another wave of tears. I patted his back and held him. "I should never have joined this revolution!" he cried. I looked down at him and saw tears streaming down his face. It made me wonder how many other young men who went off to fight in this rebellion had ended like this.

"Should be dead! Not her!" I frowned. "Now, now, if you were dead that wouldn't help anyone. You should continue to live and fight on in her glory." I couldn't believe I was saying this. I was saying it because it soothed the part of my heart that was bleeding for Shintah. While that side of my heart was being soothed the other was being tore open. That other side was the side that had loved Shintah and now by saying these things I was admitting that Shintah loved this other woman and I could never have him.

I shook my head I wanted to be helping Shintah whether he returned my feelings or not. That was called unconditonal love was it not? It was the greatest of all loves, my sister had told me, when someone will hurt themselves to give the other comfort and love. Still knowing this did not make what I was doing any easier. Once I caught myself thinking that maybe it would have been better if we both had never joined the revolution, if we had never met. If that had been the case neither of us would have ended up this way. Maybe Shintah would have been able to live happily with a wife like Tomoe and maybe even a few children.

But we had joined this rebellion and we had met. I guess some might call that the hands of fate intervening or maybe just blind luck. Whatever it was it was now done and could not be undone. I held Shintah closer to me as he sobbed over his dead love. I wanted him to cry this way over me. Then I remembered the time when I had been shot under the back of my shoulder blade. He hadn't even thought to help me until I complained to him I couldn't wrap my torso myself. Maybe I had never been loved by Shintah maybe it had all just been an illusion that I had fabricated to make up for never really having a man in my life before. Yes that was all our relationship had been. I felt tears crowding my eyes. I held them back. I knew that I couldn't cry. For now at least I had to be strong for Shintah.

He laid on my shoulder until late into the night he fell asleep. I glanced down when I realized his sobbing had stopped. His eyes were closed, his mouth slightly ajar, and tears still wet on his cheek. I lifted him slowly until he rested in my arms. I took him into the bedroom and laid him down on the bed. I looked down at him and smiled. I slowly wiped the tears from his face with my thumb. His breath changed a bit then went back to normal. I untied his hair which was tied tightly to his head. He sighed as his hair fell.

I sat on the bed beside him. I couldn't help it. I brushed his bangs out of his face. He moved a bit. I chuckled. Then I thought of tomarrow when I would have to tell him the rebels had summoned him back. I looked away from him and up at the moon through the window. It couldn't be avoided just like how Shintah felt about Tomoe and not about me.

Author's Notes: Ok people I need feedback on this cuz this is the first time I've done something like this I mean never done any type of romance before so I'm curious how well I do my one friend tells me I suck at it but she's also sorta bias soo...


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Notes:Yes this is sorta late. And I do have an excuse! I was sick so there.

Chapter 16:

When the morning came I forced myself to leave Shintah's side and go attempt to make breakfast. I got the getting the ingidients out of the cupboards then it got difficult. I had never really cooked before. I had only ever had what other people made and raw stuff. Cooking was harder than it looked, or maybe it was just the mood in the house. I glanced back toward the bedroom at was still asleep.

I smiled a bit. Despite everything that had happened with Tomoe and all I still couldn't stop feeling just a little love for him...ok maybe a bit more than a little. Finally I did manage to make rice balls...they'd probably taste like shit but I had a remedy for that. I had brought sake! Sake makes everything better, well... I sat on the floor until Shintah finally woke up. He totally ignored my rice balls and came to sit by me. "They want me to come back to work."

I wasn't quite sure if that was a statement or a question. "That's why you're here isn't it?" I shook my head. "Yes they do want you back, no I'm here because you're my friend." He grinned a little sadly. "Well I guess that's nice." He took a rice ball. "These aren't poisoned are they?" I frowned, "Well that's not very nice!" Then I saw his smile and realized he was joking with me. "Well you did make them..." I sighed. There was no arguement to that one.

After that we were back on the road to Tokyo. I wasn't exactly sure what the rebels would want us to do now. I could only imagine that all their efforts were now foccussed on trying to take back Kyoto. However when we reached the Tokyo base Shintah was called in first. I was curious so I listened in. Which probably wasn't the smartest thing I had ever done but what I heard was worth the stupidity.

As I listened I heard Shintah say, "I no longer wish to be your hitokiri in the shadows." Then was some gasping. "But why?" Shintah answered, "In addition to that I do not wish to kill. I will continue to work for the rebels but know that I will avoid killing at all costs." I almost fell over. What? A hitokiri that wouldn't kill? Well it was going to be rather interesting. I wondered...

Shintah passed me on the way out. "Yes, I don't plan on killing anymore." I glared at him. He always seemed to know when I was trying to spy on him. Not fair! Then I was called in. I stood before the leaders waiting to see what they would want me to do. Undoubtly it would have something to do with Shintah's new resolution not to kill. And it turns out that I was right.

One sighed and began speaking, "Shingetsu, you have heard of Battosai's refusal to kill." I froze. How was it that everyone know when I spied on them. I nodded. They looked like they were still trying to comprehend that Shintah really wouldn't be killing anyone anymore. "We are going to have you and the Battosai be partners in all your missions again. You see he is still useful to us even if he won't kill. There is always the fear factor. And those that we need dead that he refuses to kill, those will fall to you." I nodded, "Understood." I turned to leave as he finished, "And the credit for the kills will go to Battosai to build his reputation of fear." I sighed, "I thought so." I walked outside.

I saw Shintah leaning against the tree outside. I smirked, "Then you heard?" He nodded. "Good no explaining." He chuckled, "Well do you know what our first misson is?" I nodded. "They told me before I even left. They're sending armies into Kyoto, but..." Shintah nodded, "One man army." I cleared my throat. He grinned, "Heh, of course and a one woman army. Happy?" I grinned and nodded. We laughed. That was probably the last time we would laugh in a long time. Taking back Kyoto would be bloody.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

Shintah and I were in Kyoto by the next morning. The city was still overrun with the Shinsengumi. Shintah and I slunk around the city, waiting for the right oportunity to take out the leaders of the Shinsengumi as we had been told to. Of course we had to be more careful than usual because Shintah as the Battosai had decided to come out of the shadows so everyone was on their guard and had that seed of fear in their hearts.

I always had my hand tightly around my whip. He touched my arm. "Come now. You can draw that whip quicker than any man could possibly draw his sword. So relax." I frowned but did as he said. We stood on the roof of a house looking down at the Shinsengumi, observing their actions and deciding what ours should be.

I still couldn't decide what I should do. I knew that Shintah now disaproved of killing, so what was I supposed to do. When the time came to kill in the name of the rebellion could I kill someone while he was watching. Or even worse what if someone threatened us, someone who was good. Would I be able to stand there as they pummeled Shintah. I loved him and I wanted his approval. I sounded like such a child. Well I guess being seventeen I wasn't quite an adult yet either.

Shintah took me to a small dugout in the wall of some run down old building on a bad street. "Shingetsu, do think you can get to the leader of the Shinsengumi?" I immediately noticed that he had called me Shingetsu again. Was that what he thought of me now? I nodded, "I think so, but is that with or without back up?" He bit his lip and looked away. "Well I would prefer to not fight anymore." I frowned. "No, that's wrong." His head sprung up so he could look me in the eye.

"What are you talking about?" I had had an idea. "Well you said you didn't want to kill anymore, right?" He nodded. "Where are you going with this?" I smirked, "Well, killing doesn't exclude fighting!" He shook his head, "I wouldn't be able to control myself it might not be my first time or even my second, but eventually, it would happen." I frowned in thought. There must be a solution. Then I had a crazy idea, but these days crazy just might work. "What if you had a sword that prevented you from killing?"

Shintah glanced toward me. "I know you specialize in whips, but I thought being involved in this revolution that you might know that blacksmith's don't make swords that don't kill." I shook my head still grinning. "Well I already thought of that, may I see your sword?" He reluctantly handed me his sword. I unsheathed it and ran a finger along the blade. "You see how the blade curves outward? What if it turned inward? You wouldn't be able to kill anyone like that! At least not very well."

Shintah considered it for a moment. "That might work. I heard of a blacksmith who tried that once. I believe he called it a sakabato." I grinned, "But until then." I took his sword and loosen the blade a bit and spun it around and retightened the blade. "That'll hold at least for tonight. You can give it a test drive." He nodded, "I didn't know you were this handy." I shrugged, "Eh, not that much." He nodded, "Well you'll understand if I get the smith's sakabato. I would prefer a blade..." I finished his sentence. "That isn't bloodstained." He nodded in agreement.

That night we ran along the rooftops to the Shinsengumi's main headquarters in Kyoto. We came upon it soon enough. I had scouted it out during the day. The kill was quick enough. The Shinsengumi had been in power here too long and had gotten overconfindent. Such a small guard that Shintah dispatched them without thoroghly harming anyone. I was quickly in and out leaving a trail of chaos behind me. Shintah stayed outside not even wishing to see what he used to be the best at.

We were out of there fast in consideration of Shintah's resolution. We slept in that dugout that we had found earlier. Shintah got me up early in the morning to go see that blacksmith that had made the sakabato. He apparently bought it. I would have gone in, but I got distracted by the sweet stand right across the road from the black smith's shop. Yes, I acted like a child, but oh well I hadn't had anything other than hardtack really since I started in the revolution. So that day while I was munching on pastries Shintah had started down the road of justice. He was leaving me behind.

Author's Notes: Next chapter the revolution ends. I have been waiting for this forever, but don't worry the end of the revolution isn't the end of the story! but there will be a long emotional good bye geez there's alot of emotion in this.


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Notes:I don't know the exact time the revolution ended so I'm just going to do what seems right for the story. Sorry, I don't mean to offend the people who really like acuracy, so if you want to yell at someone yell at my computer. Thanx. Oh and as a side note a review would be nice...hahaha :)

Chapter 18:

That was how it was for the remainder of the revolution. Shintah and I took the most dangerous and suicidal missons and I had to admit that despite his vow not to kill he was still one of the best swordsman I had ever had the pleasure of knowing. However whenever someone needed killing and there was no way to get around it, that job fell to me. After a while I had learned not to take Shintah with me. Not only did the death seem to disturb him, but it also looked to make him angry, often at me. Eventually we took back Kyoto and slowly the tide of the war was turned toward favoring the revolution. The day that it all came to an end brought with it great sorrow for me.

I sat with my back to a tree with the cherry blossoms slowly falling around me. Shintah came walking up to me. "Miss Mizuki, did you hear the war had ended? We are the victors!" I closed my eyes and said nothing. He sat beside me. "What's wrong?" I shrugged, "I guess I just don't really have a feeling of closure...I mean what are we supposed to do now? I don't know about you, but this revolution is all I ever knew!"

He frowned and sighed. "Yes, this revolution is pretty much all I have ever known as well, but I do have a plan for what to do in this new era." I turned to face him. "And that would be?" Shintah looked up at the clear blue sky. "I plan to be a Rurouni. I want to use my skills to help people." I smiled, "That sounds perfect for you."

He turned to look at me and our eyes met. "What do you think you should do, Miss Mizuki?" he spoke in barely a whisper. I looked down anything so I didn't have to look into his eyes. "I don't know. I have no idea whatsoever." He put his hand over mine. "You could always come with me." I shook my head. I knew that his hand on mine was just a friendly gesture. He could never love me again like he had before Tomoe and I had finally come to accept that. However if I had to travel with him day after day I would be constantly reminded of that and it might get my hopes up only to be dashed to the ground once again. I couldn't deal with that.

Besides if I did go with him I would only hold him back. He was ready to give up his sword and settle down or at least help out the helpless. I wanted to help as well, but I wasn't sure if I was ready yet. I didn't know if I could give up my whip or killing. It had become part of my nature in the years I had spent in the revolution. And if I was there Shintah would never have the chance to forget about his past and start again. I loved him and I wanted him to have that even if it meant that I had to give him up.

"No, I'm afraid I can't come with you Shintah. From now on we will each have to walk our own path." I stood and he did the same beside me. "I understand." He took my hand once again, but this time he used that hold to pull me in closer to him. Shintah had me locked into and embrace. I couldn't breath, but I slowly wrapped my arms around him as well. I closed my eyes and enjoyed this moment resting against his strong chest because I knew that this may very well be the last time I ever had the chance.

Just as quickly as he had embraced me he let go. "Goodbye," he whispered into my ear. I looked up and saw Shintah walking away down a path on which I could never follow and never looked back. I followed him with my eyes until he was out of sight. I sighed and turned back to the bloodstained Kyoto. Now I knew what I had to do. While Shintah was out wandering and protecting those out in Japan I would stay here in Kyoto a place that he would never return to. Here I would clean up what we had done and help rebuild. I decided that if there was going to be a new Kyoto it was going to be part of my doing and once that was done I would protect those in my city of Kyoto. I wasn't as good as Shintah I couldn't protect all of Japan, I might not even be able to protect all of Kyoto, but I would try and I would protect as many as I could. This was where the real revolution began. And once again I was going to be part of this.

Author's Notes:Sorry you have to hear from me in twice in one chapter but well here goes, um...do you want a chapter on what Shingetsu does in Kyoto or just skip to when she meets Shintah again as Kenshin? Input would be appreciated. Thank you XP


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Notes: Sorry this is so late, but i was busy with my drama and writing and drawing and ya you get the picture

Chapter 19:

So for the next eleven years I stayed in Kyoto trying to keep those who thought that they would be able to benefit in this new era by exploiting those who could not protect themselves. Even as time went on I could never forget Shintah. And every once in a while I thought of maybe putting away my whip and going to look for him, but I always gave myself the same answer: As long as there were still people who needed me I would always protect them even if it meant giving up what I wanted.

So I watched the years pass from my hiding places on the streets of Kyoto. I knew that I would never see Shintah again. He would never return to Kyoto because of the memories that it held and I could never leave it because of the new memories I wanted from it.

~During the Shishio Arc in the Elventh Year of the Meiji~

I sat on a top of a building near the middle of the city. I stared across at the restraut across the street. The Aiyo it was called. Its food looked really good. I really wanted to try it out, but well, I had been busy and there were other complications. Because of my, um, weapon bearing, because they still wanted to include my whip in the sword ban, and I had been labeled as a certain level of criminal because of that and I had in my time protecting the citizens I had upset more then one polititian.

"Hmph!" I grunted. Ungrateful people, or maybe it was just the damn polititian's influence. Who cares? Not I. Well I stood and looked toward the Aiyo. I really wanted to go and so I would. But it would be retarded if I got caught because I wanted to try their food. Then again I usually was reckless and that usually was portrayed as retardedness. Oh well, what was life without risks?

I jumped down from the building and started to walk over to the Aiyo with a confident stride. Confident strides and acting like you were suposed to be there usually diverted people's attention from you. So that's what I did until my step had no choice but to falter because my brain froze and stopped sending them signals for a moment.

For standing in front of the Aiyo after eleven years was Shintah. My mouth hung open and for a moment I just couldn't move. What was her doing back here? I thought he wouldn't ever come back? Was he here for me? I shook my head. Probably not. After eleven years he had probably forgotten all about me.

Then my body started acting against my will. My legs carried my toward the Aiyo, toward Shintah. I yelled inside my head; Hey legs! Listen to me! I don't want to got that way! But they didn't listen, imagine that. My body forced me into the Aiyo after Shintah. As soon as I was in the door I saw him. He was about a meter away from me. I closed the distance between us. I felt like a little girl with a crush as I approached him. He turned. I blushed and looked away. "Hey, um, well, uh...I don't know if you remember me, but..." Thankfully he cut me off before I could embarass myself further. "Of course I remember you Miss Mizuki," he said with a big smile.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter20:(wow twenty chapters already I think we should pop the champainge!...or maybe just some beer or sake)

I froze. Shintah did remember me from the revolution all those years ago. I fought against a blush as I looked at him. Then noticed that his eyes were so different from I had ever seen them look like. They were no longer the eyes of a killer or the eyes of a confused boy or even a sorrowful ex-hitokiri. They looked like he was...really happy. I mean even happier than I had seen him Tomoe.

My mind started working again and it was racing. Had it happened again? Had he found another Tomoe? Had he found love and happiness without me? Would I have to stand on the outside again? Was that my lot in this life? Damn it! Shintah was looking at me with a concerned expression. "Are you okay Miss Mizuki?" I noted that even his voice was a bit different. I smiled, "Yeah sure I'm fine." He frowned. He was the one person on earth that I just couldn't lie to no matter what I tried.

He turned to the girl he had come in with who now that I looked she looked that she was at least half his age. "Miss Misou, please is there anywhere Miss Mizuki and I could have a conversation?" The girl shrugged. "There's a back room there." She pointed. Shintah nodded and I followed him back to that room.

We sat on the floor and for a few moments there was an awkward silence. "What are you doing here Shintah? Why are you back in Kyoto?" I asked. He looked up at me. "Do you know Shishio Makoto?" I nodded, "Of course he took over your roll of the hitokiri in the shadows. Then I think they burned him alive." Shintah shook his head. "No he's still alive. And now he wants revenge." I frowned, "He lived through a burning that's tough."

"But the Meiji government wants me to get rid of him, but I'm not sure how I'm going to avoid killing. I have to though." He looked deep in thought. I wacked him upside the head. "Hey you're taking orders from these people who want you kill this guy so they can sleep easy! You don't have to listen to them! Let them do there own damn killing!" Shintah looked down. "But Shishio is a threat to all of Japan. I can't just let him do as he wishes. I-" I patted his back. "Well then if that's what you wanna do then don't worry."

"Oro?" he gasped. "Well we can be a team again and if anyone needs some killing I'll be the one to do it and-wait did you just use my word?" Had he really just used oro? He had always thought it was dumb when I used it. He blushed and looked up at me. "Yes this one had been using that almost ever since I left Kyoto. I have missed you."

My eyes widened. He had missed me. I blushed. "Oh well, this one? I have to get used to how you talk now I guess." He smiled. It was nice to see him smile. He almost never smiled when I knew him and now he did it so easily. I hoped that meant he was happy even if he had gained that happiness without me. "Well Miss Mizuki, what have you been doing for the past eleven years?" I would really have to get used to being called Miss again. I told Shintah all I had been doing in Kyoto.

Then he told me how he had traveled around as a Rurouni until just recently when he had settled a bit in Tokyo. He had met a girl who ran a dojo, Kaoru. I wasn't sure if he liked her or not, but well...anyways. Then there were Sanoske and Yahiko. Yahiko was a kid traing with Kaoru. And Sanoske was a freeloader. By the sound of it Sanoske and I would have a lot to talk about. Ha! Then he told me he had left them behind in Tokyo when he had come to Kyoto. He seemed really depressed about it. I put my hand on his back. "Don't worry if I understand you right about your friends they'll be coming to find you."

"But I want them to stay safe in Tokyo!" I smirked, "I don't think they give a shit."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

So for the next few day Shintah and I planned on how to solve this Shishio problem that he had gotten himself involved in. I wasn't worried. I was sure that he couldn't have lost his old touch no matter how little he had used his sword. Still he insisted on having a plan.

Now as per part of his plan he was going to his old master, Sejiro Hiko, to learn the final secrets of the Hiten Mitzerugi Ryu. And of course he had to drag me along with him.

"Why am I even coming," I complained. "Are you arfaid he'll chop off your head?" I snicked, but Shintah was dead serious. "Let's just say that my master wasn't too happy about my leaving for the revolution and...ah...dropping out of my training." I glanced over at him. "You never finished training?" I asked quizzically. He countered, "You never had any training." I tilted my head to acknowledge his point. "Well if he tries to take off your head he'll be on the floor beside his own."

Shintah laughed, "He'll like your spirit." We finally arrived at Sejiro Hiko's house. Shintah knocked on the door. A large man answer the door with a sake keg tied to his arm and a sword on his waist. He was almost three times my size. That made me real comfortable. Shintah bowed. "I've come to learn the final secrects of the Hiten Mitzerugi Ryu." Hiko whacked him over the head with his sake keg. "You're a worthless aprentice that left years ago! Why should I take you in now?"

Shintah braced himself for another blow as Hiko raised his hand to strike again. I shook my head. Oh, no way. No way in hell! I uncoiled my whip and snapped it around Hiko's wrist stopping his hand. "I don't think so," I said as he glared at me. "This is my aprentice, where do you get off telling me I cant do something?" I smirked, "I'm his friend that's where." Hiko looked back at Shintah then nodded. "Fine I'll teach you, once you prove that you will work twice as hard as last time. You're lucky this girl was here to make me even consider taking you back." He stormed back inside the house after struggling with my whip ( in the end I had to untangle him)

Shintah looked over at me and smiled. "Well at least I'm in." I nodded, "Yeah but this Hiko guy's an ass." Shintah laughed. When we followed Hiko inside he said as soon as we were through the door he said, "Hey, I need some water. Girl, would you fetch it?" I put my hands on my hips. Another sexist bastard! "My name is Mizuki and I am not your goddamn hand maid!" I hissed. Shintah looked up at me. "Miss Mizuki, please." I saw something in his eyes that was begging me to just go so they could talk. "Hmph!" I grunted flipping my hair as I walked out the door, grabbing up the bucket.

I knew they were talking about something they didn't want me to hear so that meant that I really wanted to hear it. I ran to the well, drew the water, and ran back as quickly as I could. I listened at the door. Apparently they had just been catching up. I stuck out my tongue, nothing interesting. Then Hiko said, "Who's that girl, that was with you?" I narrowed my eyes at him even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"She already told you, sir," I could almost see the smile in his voice. "No, I mean who is she really? No one just picks up a whip and can use it like that." I heard silence then, "Ah, so, you met her during the revolution. Another hitokiri I would guess." I heard Shintah go to protest. "I respect her skill," Hiko ignored him. "If only I had had her for an apprentice instead of you..." He sighed.

I burst in the door. "Shintah's the best apprentice you could ever hope for you jackass!" I yelled. Then I realized that I just let them know that I had been spying. I shrugged and looked at Shintah who rolled his eyes with a slight smile. "He deserved it," I pouted.

Author's Notes:Oh! next chapter Mizuki meets Kaoru! How will this turn out?


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

I was mildly amused as I watched Hiko drill Shintah again and again ,oh and guess what, again! I was actually learning from them as Hiko taught him. I had never used a sword before and it was interesting to see how much skill and patience it took to perfect a style or even just one move. It almost made me want to get up off my lazy butt and learn. Almost, so I just sat there watching them. It was quite fun.

Suddenly Hiko froze. "Girl-er-Mizuki,(I yelled and beat some sense into him last night), someone is here. I trust you can give them the proper welcoming." I met his eyes and understood his meaning. I nodded. "Of course." I trekked off to the front of the house. I crept around the corner and peered out at the intruders. It was a woman and a young boy. Most people would believe this wasn't a threat but, I know first hand what women and boys can do.

I silently uncurled my whip. I took a breath then lashed out with my whip snapped only a few centimeters from the girl's face. She cried out and stumbled backwards. The boy looked toward me and pulled out a shinai growling. I snapped the whip causng it to curl around his shinai. I easily yanked it out of his hands. The two guests stood there stunned for a moment. "What is your purpose here?" I asked slowly making my way toward them.

The girl ran up to me, tears forming in her eyes. "Please, tell me if Kenshin is here!" I frowned, Kenshin was Shintah. Ok got it. "Why who are you?" She looked up at me and her blue eyes were earnest. "I'm Kamiya Kaoru. And this is Myogi Yahiko. We're friends of his!" I sighed. This was Kaoru. The girl Shintah had told me about the one with the dojo in Tokyo. She had really traveled all the way to Kyoto just to see him. Well at least my hunch was right.

I shrugged, "Yeah, he's here. He's in the back..." Before I could finish my sentence she was running off to see Shintah. I heard myself thinking that she must really care for him. I shook my head. I looked over at the kid who had started after Kaoru. I followed slowly. I didn't really want to see how far he had gone with this girl when he had been gone, but I arrived at the back to see the end of a conversation. "Miss Kaoru, I can't protect you here. You two shouldn't have come." Kaoru went running off into the house shedding tears all the way. The boy, Yahiko followed her.

I turned to look at Shintah who had turned back to his practices. I sighed and walked into the house after the girl. I saw her sitting in a chair with Yahiko beside her trying his best to comfort her. In my experience boys were terrible at comforting girls especially in this kind of situation. "Hey, kid, why don't you go watch Hiko and Shintah-er-Kenshin. You might be able to pick up something." He realized that I wanted to talk with Kaoru alone and obliged heading outside.

I looked at the girl who was weeping. I wondered if she was always like this. I sat on the chair beside her. "Calm, down (I think I might be worse at comforting people than boys were). Sh-Kenshin will come around eventually. Just wait for him. Don't cry." She looked up at me with her big tear filled eyes. I wondered what she wanted me to do. "I-I," she sniffed then relasped into another wave of tears.

I couldn't believe that she was like this. I mean the way Shintah had described her, well I guess I should have known. She was at the age when men were everything. I don't think I ever passed that age. I knew that she cared about Shintah, but I cared about Shintah too and I hadn't cried when he had left me, well not too much. Still we each cared in our own way. We were so different that I don't think Shintah would be able to love both of us.

I turned away. I already knew who he would choose. There was this whole beautiful girl, then there was me a broken bloodstained girl. Yeah, this didn't require any thought.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

Ok so since there was nothing remotely exciting in the next few weeks I will just summarize. Shintah continued training and getting better. Hiko was still an ass, but at least now a tolerable one. Kaoru continued her crying spree. I swear to god that woman had more tears than the oceans had water. Yahiko was a cute kid and willing to learn so he watched Hiko and Shintah train. I was mainly not doing much of anything... Oh one interesting thing did happen! Another one of Shintah's friend arrived. Apparently he had been lost. His name was Sanoske Sagara.

I was impressed by how big he was. Especially when you consider that I'm a good two centimeters shorted than Shintah and smaller in build too. I know its sounds impossible, but... Yeah, despite our physical differences we got on just fine. We were both interested in how the other fought. I had never seen anything like him before. He could disinigrate things with his bare fist. He said it was a skill he had just learned a few days ago. He must be a really fast learner... I had to admit I was impressed. Then we he forced me to tell him how I fought he seemed like he was impressed as well and really wanted to learn.

Anyhow so finally Hiko taught Shintah the last pattern of the Hiten Mitzerugi-Ryu and we were free to go. I wasn't at all sad about that. We went back to where that girl, Misou and the Oniwabanshu had their head quarters in the Aiyo resteraunt. I was perfectly happy going there. The Oniwabanshu gladly gave us their amazing food. Here let me put it bluntly: Food=Me happy!

Sanoske and I started to have eating contests while Kaoru was sliently trying to mend her relantions with Shintah while he was stoutly trying to ignore her. Misou was being...i don't know...like teenage girl crazy...? Yahiko was in our eating contest but he fell out when we started on the sake. By the end of the match Sanoske was bloated and swaggering around like a...well he was drunk so...

"How the hell do you manage to eat so much. I mean..." Sanoske drawled. I smirked, "You mean because you're pretty much ten times bigger than I am. I burn it more quickly." I stuck out my tongue at him. He rolled his eyes at me and waved my comments away.

Later that night we went to the shipyard. Apparently Shisio thought it would be a good idea to cause fear and havoc in all of Japan. What a jackass! I crept on the ship first then followed Shintah and Sanoske. I hung on the pole up to the crow's nest and caused mischief from up there. I saw a man creeping up on Shintah's back. I shook my head, "Don't think so, hun"

I whipped my whip at his hand and snapped the weapon out of his hands and back toward me. I let go of the pole and caught his sword. I was keeping myself up on the pole with only my legs. THe man whirled around his tiny little brain still trying to comprehend what had just happened. Finally his eyes fell on me holding his sword. I gave him a small salute and broke his sword over my knee. I couldn't use it and didn't want it used against me so that was the best option. I flung myself into the fight. It felt good to be fighting back to back with comrades once again. That was one of the things that I had missed most about the revolution. In fact it was one of the only things.

We defeated Shishio's men and took the ship. As Shintah, Sanoske, and I watched them flee. We all knew one thing. The one thing that only Shintah would voice. "The next will be harder. Much harder. We can only hope that we will be ready for it when it comes, the final battle."

Author's Notes: Sorry this was late but...well I had a school play and out of school play and a reading competition so my life was crazy. And now its gonna be even crazier cuz my sister's coming home from college and my friend is coming over on Saturday to have a Marvelthon! I love superheros! Yay!


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24:

So after that first fight our mood brightened considerably...ha! joking! Our mood was like there was this huge black cloud hanging over us always threatening to rain. We were all depressed to some degree. I think Shintah was debating with himself over what he should do about Shisio. I saw the conflict in his eyes.

I saw him sitting on the back porch of the Aiyo looking down at the ground sword on his lap. I frowned and walked over to him silently. I fell to a sitting position beside him. He glanced up at me momentarily then continued ignoring me. I bit my lip trying to think of what to say. I couldn't say that I had been in the same position as he was now. I knew what it was like for someone like us...hitokiri or ex-hitokiri...to have emotional conflict over what we do. We had the skills to protect ourselves and those around us, but if we didn't kill were we really using them to their full ability? There was always the worry that you were holding yourself back.

But that wasn't what Shintah worried about; he was better than that. He wanted know when did killing and using your skills become a moral sin? And could it be a good thing if used for the right reasons or was it always a bad thing? I knew that I didn't have the answers to his questions but maybe just being there for him...oh what was I thinking? There was no way I could help him. Maybe I should just send out Kaoru; she seemed like she'd be good at comforting people.

I stood to leave. "Don't go," Shintah said in a low voice. I turned toward him and sat beside him once again. I wondered why he would want me here? Finally he looked at me. I tried to give him my best encouraging smile not sure what else to do. He spoke quickly, "Miss Mizuki, you would say that we are the same in many ways correct?"

I frowned not exactly sure what he was getting at, but I nodded hesitantly. "Then tell me, have you ever thought about what you do?" I raised an eyebrow unsure of what to make of his question. "Well, in what way...?" He shrugged, "Just thought...I mean like what have you thought about it at different times and such..."

I searched back in my memory to see if I could find what he was looking for. I took a deep breath, "Well I guess I have thought about it, a lot... I don't know exactly what to think. It is a talent that I have so that means it was given to me for a reason right? So it must have some purpose. I think that protecting people and using your talents are fine." He nodded but still didn't look convinced. I didn't want him to follow me in the path I was taking. He had friends in Tokyo he couldn't travel the path to hell with me.

"Shintah, that's what I think for me. That may not be the way for everyone. Different people need different things. So you need to decide for yourself." He nodded and looked slightly happier than he had seconds before. I stood to go once more. He caught my hand and looked up into my eyes. I started to blush. "Thank you," he said with a broad smile. I nodded happy that he was sure of himself again.


	25. Chapter 25

Author's Notes: Ok sorry this is so late I had my birthday party and sleepover and marvel night and ya...you get the picture...why am I so busy?

Chapter 25:

We were forced into waiting for Shishio to make a move. I knew that when he did we would know about it. I had only met Shishio in person once during the revolution but I recieved the idea that the he was the type of person who would like to make sure that everyone knew who he was with a big bang.

I hadn't forgotten my conversation with Shintah. I kept thinking about it over and over. I believe that Shintah's morals might be infecting me. I wasn't sure about what I did anymore. I wanted to be like Shintah because in truth I admired him, but I couldn't stop just yet. Shishio might need some killing. But that didn't stop me from thinking about what I should do when this fight was over.

Finally one night Shishio made his move. As I was gazing out the window for lack of a better thing to do I saw a small light flicker in the distance then another and another and the lights were coming closer. It was fire. Half of Kyoto was going up in flames as I watched. I ran off to get Shintah who was eating with his friends. I burst into the room. Everyone looked up at me with questioning faces. "It's Shishio! He's set Kyoto on fire!"

They rushed over to the windows to verify what I had said. I stood back and leaned against a wall as everyone was in a frenzy trying to figure out what to do. Misou wanted to fight as well, and Kaoru wanted to stay with Shintah. I'm sorry but Kaoru would just get in our way.

It ended that Kaoru, Misou, and Yahiko would stay and protect the city while Shintah, Sanoske, and I went to find Shishio. Apparently Shintah had an idea of where he would be able to find Shishio as he ran through the streets of Kyoto leading us. I wondered if we did manage to find Shishio what Shintah would do.

Finally we came across a woman in a very low cut dress. I raised an eyebrow. She smiled cooly and said, "Shishio is waiting." She led us into some castle like thing and took us to a first room where a monk sat. As he turned Sanoske narrowed his eyes. Apparently they knew each other. "Go. I'll handle him." Shintah began to protest but he was interupted by a man standing behind us. "Leave him, you need to continue as quickly as possible." I turned to see Saito. "Saito?"

He walked up to stand beside me. I narrowed my eyes and growled. Shintah put a hand on each of our shoulders. "Come now, this is not exactly the time to start fighting about the past." I nodded, but spared Saito one more withering glare. He did the same.

Shintah led us to the next room. I kicked down the door just for the hell of it. Saito haughtly looked over at me, "A bit melodramatic are we?" I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue at him. He ignored me and we went back to concentrating on the room as the dust cleared.

He walked up to stand beside me. "Miss me?" I narrowed my eyes with a growl. Shintah


	26. Chapter 26

Author's Notes:srry this is so ridiculously late i really have no explanation other than a mixture of business laziness and depression but im back now so let's go!

Chapter 26:

In the next room was another of Shishio's men. I frowned and began to step forward planning to end this quickly. Saito was quicker. "I'll take this one." I narrowed my eyes and frowned. He smirked at me. Shintah nodded curtly and ran on to the next room. Saito grabbed my shoulder before I left. "You need to go with him. He needs you," he whispered gruffly. I blushed. Was I that obvious that Saito noticed? I looked in his eyes. No he was looking at me as a warrior. Of course, he meant Shintah needed me to watch his back because I was one of the best. I nodded and mentally shook myself. I couldn't let my girly feelings get in the way. Not now.

I followed Shintah into the next room where he had stopped in front of a dark looking man with black hair covering his eyes. "Kenshin," the man growled. "Aoshi," Shintah returned. I looked between the two of them. "We met in Tokyo," Shintah explained for me. I nodded my understanding. So much had happened to him since he had left me. I spared myself a moment of pity then snapped back to attention.

"Tell the girl to step back," Aoshi demanded. I snapped out my whip, "Hey, I'm right here and I-" "Go Miss Mizuki," Shintah said softly. His eyes were focussed but still not nearly to the exent they had been during the revolution. I reluctantly stepped back. I asumed that this must be about some grudge that Shintah had given to him acidentally. Heh, he was good at that.

I noticed that we were in a library. They were gonna fight in a library. I raised an eyebrow and scooted away from the bookcases. I snuck up to the second floor of the library and leaned over the railing to watch. The two men were squaring off. Soon the battle started. I watched as the men exchanged blows once again awed by how well that they could handle their swords.

I was so engrossed in the battle that I failed to notice Sanoske when he came up to stand beside me. "Hn, Aoshi's back," Sanoske mused to himself. I jumped. "Warn me when you're here!" I cried. He laughed,"You're so into that fight I don't think it would matter if I warned you or not." I made a face at him and shrugged. I couldn't deny it because it was probably true. I would have jumped either way. I turned my attention back to the fighting men. Oh hey look, they already knocked down half of the bookshelves and covered most of the books in blood.

Evantually Shintah took the upperhand. I heard Sanoske make a small noise. I looked at Aoshi. I saw his stance. I didn't know much about swords, but it looked like a death stance and well he was barely standing so it was probably not a smart idea for him to be attempting something dangerous like that. But he seemed determind. He charged at Shintah. He had no choice but to take Aoshi down. Sano and I ran down to see the fallen man and Shintah, the victor.

Shintah was staring at the man with pity in his eyes. I had seen that expression more recently as of late and now I realized that half the time that expression was aimed at me. I wondered why. Oh well not the time. Sanoske volunteered to stay and watch Aoshi. Shintah and I went to the next room.

I saw kid no more than fourteen standing in the center of the dojo type room. "Soijiro," Shintah murmured. Once again someone he knew and I didn't. "Mr. Himura," the boy greeted happily. Shintah went to draw his sword. I put my hand on his arm. "This is my fight. I've been waiting for long enough." I snapped out my whip.


End file.
